Blonde French Onion Soup

This all-original Blonde French Onion Soup is a deliciously creamy twist on the classic version. You’ll love it!

French onion soup is rather sentimental to me. It played a special part in the dating years of my husband and I. While he was still in medical school we would go out to eat occasionally but not very often. For one, like most med school students he was on a shoestring budget, but even more because we both enjoyed cooking together. An ideal date for us was making French onion soup together (we did splurge on quality Gruyere cheese) and Todd would sometimes make his famous French Silk Pie for dessert. We’d put on some old records (yes, records) like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Andy Williams or some instrumental records from some of the old band leaders, and enjoy a deliciously rich and cheesy bowl of French onion soup. We’d spend the evening talking, going for walk, and then it was time for one of us to head home. Those are wonderful memories. And not much has changed. We still enjoy good food, cooking together, listening to old records, going for walks, and talking into the late hours of the night. But two things have changed: We’re now married with two beautiful children and we don’t have to say goodbye at the end of the night. And those are the best parts of all.

Here is a delicious twist on the classic French onion soup inspired by some fabulous cheese I recently sampled. You may remember Castello Cheese from a couple of posts I did previously (HERE and HERE). I’m a little obsessed with cheese and something of a cheese critic. Castello’s cheeses are among the best I’ve had. This time I was able to sample their Aged Havarti. Described as a “rich, creamy cheese with notes of butter and caramel and aged 12 months to encourage a crystalline texture,” Castello’s Aged Havarti is simply divine.

It was eating this Aged Havarti that inspired my Blonde French Onion Soup. While I was savoring it, I imagined how incredible it would be in a soup…a creamy soup…a creamy onion soup…sprinkled on a toasted baguette…yes! And I was right. It is incredible.

Castello’s Aged Havarti Cheese pairs perfectly with this soup. And as for what was left of it…my husband and I lovingly fought over who got to eat the rest. I got the bigger chunk.

And once the kids were in bed, we pulled our chairs up to the table and, with some soft music playing in the background, enjoyed a bowl of this deliciously creamy soup.

Let’s get started!

Cut the onions in half and then slice thinly.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the onions and sugar. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (*Don’t rush this step! It’s critical for the final flavor of the soup.)

Uncover, increase the heat to medium and cook until lightly browned, another 20-25 minutes. (*Don’t rush this step! It’s critical for the final flavor of the soup.)

Add the flour and stir until incorporated. Add the white wine and bring to a rapid boil for a minute.

Add the chicken stock and salt, return to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.

Add the cream and thyme and cook for a few more minutes to heat through.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the baguette slices on a lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake for a few minutes, just until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the baguette are browned.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls.

Place a cheese-baked baguette in each bowl and serve immediately sprinkled with a little fresh chopped parsley. Alternatively, place the unbaked baguette slices in oven-proof bowls, sprinkle with cheese, and bake. Carefully remove the hot bowls from the oven and serve immediately.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the onions and sugar. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase the heat to medium and cook until lightly browned, another 20-25 minutes.

Add the flour and stir until incorporated. Add the white wine and bring to a rapid boil for a minute. Add the chicken stock and salt, return to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Add the cream and thyme and cook for a few more minutes to heat through.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the baguette slices on a lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for a few minutes, just until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the baguette are lightly browned. Ladle the hot soup into bowls, place a cheese-baked baguette in each bowl and serve immediately sprinkled with a little fresh chopped parsley. Alternatively, place the unbaked baguette slices in oven-proof bowls, sprinkle with cheese, and bake. Carefully remove the hot bowls from the oven and serve immediately.

Notes

Do not rush the caramelizing process of the onions, it is critical for the final flavor of the soup.

3.2.2807

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Castello Cheese. As always, all opinions are entirely my own.

Awesome, so glad you both enjoyed it – thank you! Cutting onions without crying, ha! Yeah, that’s always the fun part ;) Certain enzymes are released from the onions when they’re sliced and cause the tears. Probably the most effective way that has been demonstrated to reduce the amount of enzymes that are released is to first chill the onions in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before chopping. The other trick is using a super sharp knife. It’s the crushing of the cell walls in the onions that releases the enzymes and using a really sharp knife can help reduce the amount of enzymes released. I learned that one from an old Julia Child cooking video years ago and can still hear her wobbly voice echoing in my head :) So, next time you can try both of those tricks together and not worry about having to wear waterproof mascara!

I made this Blonde French Onion Soup today
This was first time with this and I used just half the recipe
It was OK, but believe I prefer the more classical, Julia Child style. The cream just didn’t add and I do like cream-style soups

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Unless otherwise stated, all images, content and recipes are original and are the sole property of Kimberly Killebrew, daringgourmet.com. No photographs or other content may be used without prior written consent.